Law Bound
by queenofallthingsrandom
Summary: Before Harry was even born, a marriage contract was drawn up to prevent him from becoming someone's pawn. Who's the one in the contact? Snape, of course. Snarry.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: This story idea was given to me by **yue141219990.** Thank you for giving me this story idea. I hope you don't hate it. I'll try to make it a little better later, but right now I'm just too tired. This story can either be really long or really short. It's up to you, readers!

I own nothing.

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 _"I don't understand." Lily murmured._

 _"Dumbledore intends on controlling your child. He will be in control of Harry, completely and totally. The boy will barely be living his own life." Snape explained the important parts again._

 _"Is there any way around it?" James asked._

 _"Sadly, there is only one option."_

 _"What is it?"_

 _Snape sighed. "A marriage contract."_

 _Lily and James looked at each other and nodded before turning back to the greasy haired man._

 _"We'll do it."_

* * *

"WHAT?!" Harry's scream could be heard echoing through the hallways of Hogwart's.

"Mr. Potter, I will remind you that we are inside, and it is past curfew, and I will kindly ask you to quiet your voice." The potions teacher muttered.

"Sorry. A marriage contract? Why?"

"I will tell you the details later, but right now I'll say it was written for your protection."

"Why would my parents write a marriage contract between you and me?"

"I was the easiest and fastest available option. I assure you, Potter, it's not a desirable situation for me, either. You may take the contract with you to better understand the terms of our agreement. Now, it's past your curfew, and we've already discussed what I called you here for, so I suggest that you go back to your dorm if you don't want me to take points from gryffindor." His monotone voice rang out in the dungeon.

Harry ran quickly from the room and snuck back into his dorm, spending the rest of the night obsessing over this newly discovered contract. After reading over it a few more times, he dove under his covers. There were no loopholes, and no ways out.

 **This agreement made on the 18th day of** **February in the year 1980, to be carried out before the 31st day of July in the year 1998, binds Harry James Potter to Severus Tobias Snape in matrimony.**

 **Details of the marriage:**

 **This contract is officially a business transaction, and is to be carried out by the Ministry of Magic. The Council has the event details, which are being withheld until the contract is acted upon. This contract, as well as the event itself, have been kept a secret from the public.**

 **Living Arrangements:**

 **Details withheld.**

 **Monetary Arrangement:**

 **Details withheld.**

 **Purpose of marriage: Details withheld**

There were pages of 'details withheld' sections, leaving only the top part with any useful information. Stupid 'Details withheld.'

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Okay, it was a really, really short start, but I want to get to bed, so… yeah. It's gonna be pretty short. I might add more on the marriage contract later, but for now, that's all. Anyway, follow, favorite, and feed me reviews to make me type faster!

Quote of the day: "Gus ate something out of the dead man's hand! And I stole his socks!" -Psych, which is one of my favorite detective shows ever.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Thank you so much for giving this story so much attention even though the first chapter was unbelievably short. I'll try to make this one longer, but I have trouble making really long chapters. **marthapreston4** and **MagicRose37,** thank you for reviewing, and I will explain Lilly's reasons for making the contract eventually. Sorry if the first chapter didn't make sense to some of you. I have a special brain, so it seemed like a good idea. And **Ralfil,** I'm sorry that you don't like this story. I'm trying to make it work, ok? Tell me if I made the first chapter worse by editing it.

If anyone has any ideas for a fanfic on any fandom, I will gladly write it. I need something to do.

I own nothing.

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(Severus POV)

This situation isn't what I wanted. I agreed to this only because of Lily… And I'm going to go through with it for her. I'm just unsure of when I should act… I don't want to go through with the ceremony when he's this young, but I may not have any other choice.

If Dumbledore gets close enough to the boy, he might be able to find a way to get Harry to give him control. If _that_ binding spell is used, the situation will be out of my hands. The longest I can put this off is a year or two.

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(Harry POV)

"Hello, Harry!"

I blinked a few times before I recognized who it was. I hadn't been able to sleep at all last night, so I've been out of it all morning.

"Oh. Hey, Hermione."

She looked at me strangely.

"Are you ok? You look like you're going to be sick."

"Well… I… There's something… and it's…" I groaned in frustration, trying to decide on whether or not to tell her. She's the smartest person I know who I can trust with this, and I guess it couldn't hurt to get her opinion on this. "Can you promise not to freak out if I show you something?"

She seemed a little unsure but she answered, nonetheless. "Sure…"

(Timeskip)

"How did this happen?" Hermione asked while reading the contract over again.

"I have no idea. Apparently, it the agreement was made before I was born."

"But… Why would they make this with Professor Snape? He's at least twice your age!"

I shrugged. "I'm sure that there was a reason for it. I know that my parents wouldn't do this unless it were important."

I was lying.

"Harry, listen to this part." She was looking at one of the last pages.

 ** _"If either party wishes to annul this contract,_** _**their case must be examined by an official appointed by the Ministry of Magic, and all three parties must agree. If one of the two parties in the contract or the council appointed official votes against canceling the ceremony, it will be overruled and any further attempts at canceling the matrimony will not be tolerated. Once an engagement/wedlock has been examined, divorce and marriage annulment are impossible because of the law stating that each case may only be tested once."**_ Hermione read, looking up at me when she finished.

"So…" I started.

"You can only stop this if Snape and an official decide to. If either one of them doesn't want this contract canceled, you're vote doesn't master, and you can only try once. After this has been examined, you can never change try to change it again."

"What? I don't want to spend the rest of my life with him! What else matters?"

"Unfortunately, with a contract like this, it's usually not about love or spending your life with them; it's business, usually to join powerful families together. This is mostly a legal matter. You most likely wouldn't even be living with him."

"Why would they make something as stupid as that? And why would they make it so hard to cancel something that basically equates to a business transaction?"

"Harry, I'm sorry, but that part actually makes ensue. These contracts usually aren't made unless the marriage is sure to happen, and it's only fair for it to be hard to get out of if someone went through the trouble of getting it legalized. If two people were put in a marriage contract, it's only fair to make sure that neither one wants to go through with it, and the official is there to make sure that they make the right decision. It makes me wonder why your parents would do something like this before you were born, bonding you to someone way older than you who you barely know."

I glared to silence her, and immediately regretted it when I saw hurt flash across her face.

"Alright, then. You're trying to take this all in. I guess I'll talk to you later." She said, walking past me.

My parents had a reason. They had to.

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Author's note: Well, I rewrote this chapter. I felt like it was unrealistic before, so… tell me if it still is. Please review, follow and favorite. I live off of attention.

Song of the day: "Tomorrow is a Myth" by The Wild Rasberries


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Well… hopefully this is up before 2016…

Anyway, thank you for paying this story any attention! I didn't really expect it to have followers when it's barely even a thousand words long, but… awesome. i have an important announcement that will enrage some of you, but I'll wait until the ned of the chapter to tell you because I don't want to die yet. Anywyas, I think I'm done… yeah.

Wait! I don't own Harry Potter.

Carry on.

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(Harry POV)

I still don't know what to do… If I really think about this, and take everything important into account, I can see no right decision. If I don't question the contract and trust my parent's decision, then I'm giving up my happiness; if I break the contract and go against whoever tries to enforce it, I'm not only ignoring the will of my parents, but I'm risking my life. I don't know why they made this twisted agreement, or what could happen if I break it, but they had the council draw up an official contract that I can't change. If I decide that I don't want this to happen, I would have to find a way to annul it before I turned 18, or else the council would be forced to carry out the marriage, even if I didn't want it; at least, this is the implication I got from the contract. Everything's already planned, so it would be easy for me just to say yes and find out what's going on, but I want to know everything before I rush into it, or else it would be too late to change my mind.

"Mr. Potter." I snapped out of my thoughts to see an angry looking Snape glaring at me.

"Y-yes, sir?"

"In the future, I suggest you watch what you're doing."

I looked down and freaked out. My cauldron was on fire, and a weird black substance was spilling out of the top of it. I'd must've been blanked out for a long time, because I completely forgot that I had something boiling in front of me. I backed away from it before trying to put it out, failing miserably. Hermione jumped across the room and tried to help me, only to be stopped by Snape. He pointed his wand at the cauldron, and water shot out of it, putting the fire out and pouring all over my robes.

The slytherins snickered, Malfoy Sneering at me, and Snape didn't even spare them a glance.

"You nearly lit my classroom on fire with your wrecklessness." His eyes narrowed at me.

"S-sorry, Professor." I mentally curse my stuttering.

"50 points from Gryffindor, and I'll see you for detention after your classes are done."

He walked away without giving me another glance, and I somehow know that 'detention' involves going over the contract again, and discussing all of the details for hours while he grills me for an answer and simultaneously makes me recite the ingredients for thousands of potions. In other words, torture. Hermione throws a sympathetic look my way, and I try my best to send her a reassuring look, though I don't think she bought it.

It's not like it's the end of the world, though. I still have time to decide, and, no matter what I decide, everything will turn out fine.

Damn, I don't even believe myself.

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Author's note: **VERY IMPORTANT! MUST READ!**

The only reason I posted this chapter is because author's notes aren't supposed to be posted on their own, and I'm following the rules like a boring child.(Color inside the lines!) I'm not even sure if that's still a rule… too late now! I'm not posting on this story anymore. Like, I'm giving up on it and deleting it. I just though I'd give you guys some notice and a reason why.

To be honest, I started this story as a promise to someone, and it was a really good idea. The only problem was the way I wrote it. Even if you liked my writing(highly unlikely) I didn't really connect with the story, and I don't really feel like writing it. I'll come back to this prompt later, and rewrite it in a way that I can stand.

I kinda feel like I'm breaking up with someone…

It's not you, its me. We just need to take a break. I promise we can come back to each other, but right now we just need some room to breath.


End file.
